Bidspirit auction | The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam

The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II (reigned 1759-1806) in a court assembly - The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II (reigned 1759-1806) in a court assembly Delhi, India, probably 19th century. Gouache and gold leaf on paper. Visible dimensions: 38.5 × 25 cm. Frame dimensions: 43 × 29.5 cm. Framed under glass. Condition: Very well preserved; slightly browned. - Provenance: German private collection. The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II (reigned 1759-1806), seated on the famous Peacock Throne, in a court assembly surrounded by nobles, servants, and Archibald Seton, circa 1800; The outer frame is decorated with stylized floral motifs among foliage in gold leaf. Shah Alam II was the 17th Mughal Emperor, whose long reign (1760-1806) symbolized the definitive decline of Mughal power. After his defeat in the Battle of Buxar, he lost his actual authority to the British, later returned to Delhi under the protection of the Marathas, and was tragically blinded by Ghulam Qadir. Although politically powerless, he remained a significant cultural figure and a respected poet, remembered as the emperor who witnessed the collapse of the Mughal Empire.